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Getting Stoned with Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu [With Earbuds]
by
J. Maarten Troost,
Simon Vance (Goodreads Author)
At the end of The Sex Lives of Cannibals, author Maarten Troost and his girlfriend, Sylvia, were safely back home in Washington, D.C., far away from their erstwhile home in the Equatorial Pacific. But, as we discover in Getting Stoned with Savages, "advanced civilization" could not hold our intrepid Czech-Dutch traveler. Before long, he and his beloved were once ...more
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Published
January 28th 2010
by Playaway
(first published 2006)
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In his follow-up to The Sex Lives of Cannibals, Troost seems to have found his voice and rhythm. He picks up where he left off, overwhelmed by the constraints of the corporate life in Washington DC, until he decides that he and his wife Sylvia are ready for another sojourn in their beloved South Pacific. This time, instead of landing on a desolate atoll, they spend time in Vanuatu and Fiji. It is in Vanuatu that Troost discovers the wonders of kava, a local intoxicant, and regales his reader wit...more
A friend of mine recommended this book to me, and I have a great respect for the books she chooses as she has good taste in books. Apparently, I may have been wrong. Although I did enjoy reading this, it was a little dry at some points albeit fascinating in others. More journal than travelogue, it chronicles the author's experiences in a faraway land and his cohabitation with, of all things, cannibals.
The author is a good writer and often funny. Perhaps it's just me and my taste in b...more
The author is a good writer and often funny. Perhaps it's just me and my taste in b...more
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Last summer I read The Sex Lives of Cannibals, which I reported to be about neither sex nor cannibals (although, a good book nonetheless). The sequel, Getting Stoned with Savages, IS about getting stoned, and, ironically, is very much about cannibals. Go figure with the titles... I guess they just sound catchier this way.
I listened to both books and would heartily recommend it if you can get them on audio. The whole time I listened to them, I forgot that it was not the author who...more
I listened to both books and would heartily recommend it if you can get them on audio. The whole time I listened to them, I forgot that it was not the author who...more
Rarely has my reading of a book been as well-timed as it was with Getting Stoned with Savages. In the midst of preparing to move my family overseas, reading J. Maarten Troost recount his decision to leave Washington, DC for the islands of Vanuata and Fiji was equal parts inspiration, reinforcement, and much-needed distraction from working out the details of my own complicated endeavor.
Granted, moving with my wife and son back to her home country of Denmark isn’t the same as Troost a...more
Granted, moving with my wife and son back to her home country of Denmark isn’t the same as Troost a...more
My husband, Daniel, and I have always joked about quitting our jobs and moving to a tropical island. He'd mix coconut drinks on the beach and I would braid hair. After reading Getting Stoned with Savages by J. Maarten Troost, I've decided paradise may not be all it's hyped up to be. This is the second book by Troost. In his first book, Sex Lives of Cannibals, he writes about his adventures on the island of Kiribati. In both books it is his wife's job that takes them to the far away Oceanic...more
I've read a couple of Troost's other books. They weren't too bad. He's a good travel writer; injects a lot of humor into his works. This book takes place kind of after the Sex Lives of Cannibals but you don't necessarily have to read them in order. They can quite easily be read as stand-alones although he does make quite a few references to his time in Kiribati (1st book) in this book.
Troost and his wife, after spending some time working in Washington DC, decide they need to go bac...more
Troost and his wife, after spending some time working in Washington DC, decide they need to go bac...more
J. Maarten Troost is my favorite travel writer after reading book number two. It's too damn bad he claims he is staying in the U.S. for good but we'll see about that. And he should consider writing regular old travel adventure books like Bill Bryson does. But you obviously truly experience the culture when you live somewhere.
This book was a bit different than his first because of the situation. In his first, he was living on a tropical atoll in the middle of nowhere in the Pacifi...more
This book was a bit different than his first because of the situation. In his first, he was living on a tropical atoll in the middle of nowhere in the Pacifi...more
A few years ago I had an embarrassing experience. I walked into a B and N and asked, Where can I find The Sex Lives of Cannibals? I got blank stares, an awkward chortle, and really red-faced. In the few times I've read it, it's never failed to get some attention based on the cover alone (and probably my awkward outbursts of laughter at Troost's experiences). Even still, I read it. And love it every time. Needless to say, I was ecstatic when I found out he had a "sequel" of sorts ...more
This book was as entertaining (and educational) as this author's first. Both are essentially travelogue/memoir tales about his life as a Dutch/Canadian ex-patriate living with his American ex-patriate wife in the islands of the Equatorial Pacific.
I love books like these, because I get the opportunity to learn about places in the world that I basically knew very little (or nothing) about before. As with this author's first book, there were times when I laughed out loud, and other time...more
I love books like these, because I get the opportunity to learn about places in the world that I basically knew very little (or nothing) about before. As with this author's first book, there were times when I laughed out loud, and other time...more
I am just flying through books here, there is no way I can keep up with everything, my blurbs about them. (And right now this super annoying dude is talking and yelling curse words every 3 seconds into the phone and in a super annoying accent, I want to strangle him right now! SHUT THE HELL UP!)
Anyway.
GETTING STONED is about a dude (aren't they always?) and his now-wife who move from DC, away from successful jobs that they don't enjoy to islands in the S. Pacific and how they...more
Anyway.
GETTING STONED is about a dude (aren't they always?) and his now-wife who move from DC, away from successful jobs that they don't enjoy to islands in the S. Pacific and how they...more
This was so great! A fun, humorous, and still mildly educational look at the culture & residents of Fiji & Vanuatu. Compared to the only other book I've read about that region (The Happy Isles of Oceania), this was a definitely treat.
In fact, there was even a passage in the book that referenced "The Happy Isles" and summed up that book completely.
"When Paul Theroux, the world's greatest living Travel Writer, visited Port Vila some years ago to gather mate...more
In fact, there was even a passage in the book that referenced "The Happy Isles" and summed up that book completely.
"When Paul Theroux, the world's greatest living Travel Writer, visited Port Vila some years ago to gather mate...more
Sometimes Troost reminds me of Bill Bryson. He knows his stuff, but can come off a bit too sarcastic at times. I really enjoyed this book, though perhaps it's because I live in Vanuatu now. Troost paints a spot-on picture of a place, and then he captures the human side. He brings humor into the descriptions, and casts a clear light on the reality of life in a black-magic rich local. I wouldn't mind drinking kava together one night to philosophize about the counterproductive activities of the gov...more
I probably would've given this book 3.5 stars if I could've, though I'm wondering if I'm being fair since a lot about how I feel about this book has to do with the fact that it popped the bubble on my happy place. Fiji and it's surrounding islands have always been the pictures in my head when I imagined myself escaping and laying out on the beach doing absolutely nothing and having absolutely nothing to do. No pressure. I would imagine living out my days with a perma-smile that would go with ...more
Listened to this on audiobook and thoroughly enjoyed it. If you've never read one of Troost's travelogues, pick up Sex Lives of Cannibals first. His writing is witty and his adventurous lifestyle is fascinating to the travel-starved, such as myself. And he's definitely changed my thinking about life in much of the South Pacific (that's a serious understatment!). This takes place after the events in his first book (Sex Lives of Cannibals - no sex, no human cannibals, but still mildly embarrassing...more
This book of the classic "person goes to foreign land expecting paradise, instead encounters numerous misadventures" genre focuses on the South Pacific islands of Fiji and Vanuatu (spelling?). Prior to reading this, I had pictured Fiji as a sort of Pacific version of the Bahamas. This book completely dispelled those notions. As a result, it might not do much for the tourism industry there. After reading the various accounts of landslides, sharks, cannibals, and gigantic poisonous sting...more
While some of Troost's activities in this story were not too healthy, I found this to be an adventurous and intriguing story. Troost describes himself as an escapist, never content with where he is in life, he is always looking to the greener grass on the other side of the proverbial fence. In some strange way I found that I could actually relate to the desire to just pick up and relocate to desirous places as I did not long ago after falling in love with Glacier National Park. This is the essen...more
If you're not great at geography, tend to fall asleep before you even consider reading someone else's travel narration, but enjoy learning about other cultures (especially the funny and memorable side of them), sprinkled with self-mockery and sometimes hilarious passages, Troost is your man.
I loved The Sex Lives of Cannibals and, although this second book didn't make me laugh out loud as often, it is highly entertaining and informative. Troost is anything but an objective narrator, and tha...more
I loved The Sex Lives of Cannibals and, although this second book didn't make me laugh out loud as often, it is highly entertaining and informative. Troost is anything but an objective narrator, and tha...more
I rate Mr. Troost's first South Pacific travelogue, The Sex Lives of Cannibals, as one of my all-time favorite books. It combines exotic locales, cultural misunderstandings, and simply delightful wit. It is one of those rare books that I liberally recommend to others.
Getting Stoned With Savages got off to a slow start for me. I felt like Mr. Troost was trying too hard to recreate the charm and wit of his first book. And he simply wasn't succeeding. But, then as the book marched onward...more
Getting Stoned With Savages got off to a slow start for me. I felt like Mr. Troost was trying too hard to recreate the charm and wit of his first book. And he simply wasn't succeeding. But, then as the book marched onward...more
Having long ago chosen the South Pacific as my dream vacation/habitat, I loved this book, along with 'Sex Lives of Cannibals'. The writing is fun and makes you laugh while also thinking...hmmm...maybe people crapping in the ocean doesn't make much for beautiful scenery. I read these two books simultaneously, so I seem to get them mixed up when thinking of the details of each. Either way, both were quite funny and "eww-inspiring" at the same time.
NOTE: If you happen to n...more
NOTE: If you happen to n...more
This is a good guy book...by a relatively good guy, if you discount a few swear words and a lot of intoxication. He has written this funny, informative, unusual look at his second stay in the South Pacific, and it'll appeal to the guy who thinks it might be nice to leave it all behind and head on out to a primitive life among the swaying palms. It won't be quite that idyllic, though, and after reading this book, you'll see why.
Nevertheless, the author's sense of humor makes the tri...more
Nevertheless, the author's sense of humor makes the tri...more
Taken for what it is (light-hearted and very loosely accurate)it's okay.
Generally, he has a reasonable sense of humour, but remains unable to express it in any more than one way.. directly and repetitively. |Drags on a bit from the offset; but then I am biased as I lived there for a couple of years.
The book is another platform for an author wanting to show how witty he is.... He fails sadly!
I am sure he has lead an interesting life and had some quite incredible experiences.....more
Generally, he has a reasonable sense of humour, but remains unable to express it in any more than one way.. directly and repetitively. |Drags on a bit from the offset; but then I am biased as I lived there for a couple of years.
The book is another platform for an author wanting to show how witty he is.... He fails sadly!
I am sure he has lead an interesting life and had some quite incredible experiences.....more
From the author of The Sex Lives of Cannibals, another irreverent account of expat life in "developing" countries (for all of you poli-sci/IR/WS majors out there, one must turn on the filters of academia to enjoy this). The first couple of chapters evoked riotous laughter in describing the transition to working at the World Bank and the decision to return to equatorial life. Certain observations were dead-on (e.g. the necessity of the plot-driven novel in flights that last upwards of 1...more
This was a funny enough travel read, and definitely fits the genre of "writer and family moves to new place, has funny adventures". It was a great location to read about, although I've read more compelling discussions of a place and its people.
I especially liked the discussion of escapism and what wanderlust means. Another reviewer quoted his passage about the search for paradise and how real life always catches up. Calls into question my own current streak of armchair trave...more
I especially liked the discussion of escapism and what wanderlust means. Another reviewer quoted his passage about the search for paradise and how real life always catches up. Calls into question my own current streak of armchair trave...more
Troost returns and doesn't disappoint. I love his sarcastic consistency. I've been reading his book out of order, as I read Lost on Planet China: The Strange and True Story of One Man's Attempt to Understand the World's Most Mystifying Nation, or How He Became Comfortable Eating Live Squid first, but I've been loving them all just the same. I almost cried laughing many times, but my favorite was definitely his first Kava in Vanuatu experience! BWAHAHAHA! I'd recommend this one to anyone not on...more
Цялото ревю: http://kaka-cuuka.com/knigi/getting-ston...
Благодарение на тия безкрайно полезни мерки, хората в съответните държави си седят на ниво диваци и все още се изяждат един друг (съвсем буквално), племенните им вождове, които ги държат на това дередже забогатяват от хуманитарните помощи и фондове, а раздутата "хуманитарна" бюрокрация се гордее как "помага на нуждаещите се страни"...
Благодарение на тия безкрайно полезни мерки, хората в съответните държави си седят на ниво диваци и все още се изяждат един друг (съвсем буквално), племенните им вождове, които ги държат на това дередже забогатяват от хуманитарните помощи и фондове, а раздутата "хуманитарна" бюрокрация се гордее как "помага на нуждаещите се страни"...
Who would think a book about moving to a tropical island with enormous poisonous stinging caterpillars and enormous poisonous snakes and sharks in the water and even real cannibals would be amusing? Troost must be a very accepting fellow because he's done it not once but twice. Both times he has managed to get books out of his adventures and he seems to have written very little else, so perhaps this is a good arrangement for him. I liked book two almost as much as book one, something that is sur...more
"Paradise was always over there, a day's sail away. But it's a funny thing, escapism. You can go far and wide and you can keep moving on and on through places and years, but you never escape your own life. I,finally, knew where my life belonged. Home."
That quote from the end of the book, kind of sums up the entire book: why the author went to live on the island, why he stayed and why he left. This is a really funny book, the author says everything he needs to say with a...more
That quote from the end of the book, kind of sums up the entire book: why the author went to live on the island, why he stayed and why he left. This is a really funny book, the author says everything he needs to say with a...more
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After Troost's previous non-fictional jaunt in Kiribati in The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific, he returns again. The books opens with Troost working at the World Bank, Harry Rosen suit, commuter traffic, emails, memos, meetings... marveling at the complete dissonance of a few short months ago living on a small swath of bleached coral in the middle of the equatorial Pacific where flip flops were considered "dressing up." This is something many hardened traveler...more
I think all writers who experience complete success with their debut book fall into the trap of trying to mimic that success in their sophomore work. Readers also fall into this trap by comparing the author's new work with the old.
I believe that Troost has fallen into this trap as an author and I have fallen into it as a reader, though I don't think my reasons for not finding "Getting Stoned with Savages" up to par with "The Sex Lives of Cannibals" are solely built upon my love of the...more
I believe that Troost has fallen into this trap as an author and I have fallen into it as a reader, though I don't think my reasons for not finding "Getting Stoned with Savages" up to par with "The Sex Lives of Cannibals" are solely built upon my love of the...more
Some time ago, I read Troost’s The Sex Lives of Cannibals, and found it a pleasant and humorous read. Desiring a quick, fun read, I did not hesitate to scoop up Getting Stoned with Savages. Troost does not disappoint.
After spending some time in Kiribati, the basis of his other book, he and his wife return to the United States, only to become bored by the rat race. Soon, they decide to try life in another South Pacific locale, the islands of Fiji and Vanuatu.
As they had...more
After spending some time in Kiribati, the basis of his other book, he and his wife return to the United States, only to become bored by the rat race. Soon, they decide to try life in another South Pacific locale, the islands of Fiji and Vanuatu.
As they had...more
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J. Maarten Troost is the author of The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific. His essays have appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, the Washington Post, and the Prague Post. He spent two years in Kiribati in the equatorial Pacific and upon his return was hired as a consultant by the World Bank. After several years in Fiji, he recently relocated to the U.S. and now lives with his wif...more
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“Paradise was always over there, a day’s sail away. But it’s a funny thing, escapism. You can go far and wide and you can keep moving on and on through places and years, but you never escape your own life. I, finally, knew where my life belonged. Home.”
—
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